Happy Mother's Day weekend!

For all the moms out there...YOU ROCK! But, only one of us can be the best! I am totally kidding! A reader sent me this! Insert your name because YOU are the Mom of the YEAR! Love to you! xoxox

Priorities...

So, I got an email from someone asking me a few questions about priorities, balance and the quality and quantity time I spend with Emily. As I pondered it, I realize that as I look back on my time as a blogger, most of the times that I have been "absent, distant, or neglectful" of this blog, I have been "mindful, playful, engaged and interacting" with my real live kid...and personally, when all is said and done, even though this blog will be a keepsake for her to look back on, I PRAY that her memories of us laughing from hours of tickling, playing in the dirt, snuggling, reading books, creating artistic things and going on adventures will be the true treasures she carries in her heart...not that I kept up on a blog. Sure I'd like her to remember that her mom made yummy, healthy meals and treats, kept a fairly clean house and showered regularly, but if that is ALL she remembers, I will have failed as a mama...I want her to be confident that I did my best, that I loved her to the fullest, that I made mistakes but they weren't fatal, and that I lived life one day at a time with joy in my heart, striving to give God the glory with every imperfection that I have.

...Just some thoughts running through my head today...

Changes coming...

I've been polishing up my resume. Let me rephrase that...I have had one job that required a resume. I held that job from 1996 to 2001. I was a nanny for one year out of college, but they required an interview, not necessarily a resume. So, the job from '96 to '01 was my only job. Notice I didn't italicize 'only' because, well, anybody out there knows that is a joke! I guess technically, in addition to my college schooling, 'polishing up' should really only require me to add my one official job. The only thing is, since becoming a mama in 2002, I've had more life experience than my previous job experience combined. Technically speaking, I founded a non-profit organization, started two women's ministries, launched a freelance writing career along with public-speaking venues, became a self-made medical research associate and Lyme advocate, performed voice overs for a software company, have had some radio experience and will be launching my own show in June (more to come...stay tuned...) and have done fund-raising events for small and large charities.

Those things are all great or admirable in the work force, but really, what I want to put on a resume is: Qualified child of God, imperfect in every way but willing to use gifts given to me by the Creator of Universe to encourage others to aspire to their fullest potential. Willing recipient of the greatest love ever offered to mankind. Fearless leader with real life experience. Able to diligently work through the hours of the night for months at a time, if necessary, in order to make an eternal impact on future generations, physically and spiritually. Heartbroken and mended, able to walk alongside others in their disappointment with life and God. Wife to the most wonderful man in the whole world. Mother to one fantastic daughter who brings joy, laughter, and hope with each day. Mama to one sweet son who is living the ultimate life in God's physical presence, whose life and death lessons provide for my ongoing education. Daughter of the greatest parents on earth. Sister to the best friends a girl could ever ask for. Friend of some of the world's most wonderful people. High aspirations, yet not too lofty, to change the world one heart at a time. Mobile candidate, willing to go to the ends of the earth if He requires it of me. Hopeful romantic waiting on the return of the King of Kings to rescue us from this life of physical separation from God. Imperfect disciple living each day as fully as possible, one day at a time, trying to steward gifts and time for His glory, but making mistakes along the way. All inquiries email: adexoxox@gmail.com

But, I'm not so sure that the above content would throw open the doors for an interview, so I'll trust the Lord and see if in His sweet sense of humor, He'll work with what I have got...He's done it before, I'll trust Him this time, as well.

Just for fun...

So, I feathered my hair. You know you want to try it. And, that young thing to the left of the picture, when I told her that I 'feathered my hair' said, "What's feathering?" Which, mind you, came only days after Jason informed me that we were 'middle-aged'. Who knew 37 was middle aged?! I would beg to differ, Sweetheart! Anyway, not to mention, people, this all transpired maybe a week or two after I decided to stop plucking my gray hairs and let them grow freely on my head, since, I concluded that at this stage in my life, gray hairs are better than no hairs. (If you are bald, I am not knocking you...baldness is good, I just don't want to induce it, if you know what I mean?!) And besides...I have darn well earned every gray hair on this melon!

So, go have a little fun this weekend! Go feather your hair, just for fun, baby, and post some pictures! Let's bring it back, at least for one weekend! It felt good to step back in time and turn my curling iron in the opposite direction!

Feathering tip: Blow dry hair with big round brush in direction of feathering, then use a large curling iron to send those feathers way back. If you blow it dry straight and then try to curl it back, it doesn't have the same effect. Only apply AquaNet for nostalgia, otherwise, it's 2009, just go au natural and save the environment...

(Yes, I was bored the other day and thought, "I wonder what my hair would look like feathered..." Now I know. Not sure it'll be a repeat offense!)

Lighten up a little and have fun, will ya?!

Lord, will You DVR how You made the Earth, please?!

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

It's Earth Day. I am in awe of the One who made it, formed it, spoke it, designed it, created it and then decided it was a great place to share with beautiful animals that He thought up, you know, just one day while He was creating the Universe. And then, He was having such a great time, enjoying the beauty of what He had done, He decided He would take a spot of dirt, breathe life into it, and share it with humans...beings made in His very image. And then, He entrusted it into our care. All of it. To enjoy, care for and nurture. It's still an expectation of His.

I am saddened for people who worship the creation, lower case 'c', without knowing the Creator. It's this masterpiece that we all get to take in, but when you know the Artist, you get to actually learn just a portion of the reasoning behind the "why" He decided to do what He did. We get to know by getting to know Him better. It's like going to the Louvre and taking in the Mona Lisa, or seeing the ceiling in the Sistene Chapel, or gazing upon the magnificent structure of Notre Dame, but never getting a chance to meet and talk to or interview Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, or Maurice de Sully. I can read history books about these artists but they have no interest in knowing me today, in a personal way, and walking each day of life with me.

I pray that today as we look around at the beauty of God's creation, whether we know exactly how He did it or not, but just letting the awe and wonder of the fact that He did, soak in, that our hearts will give Him the glory for the beautiful bird that defies gravity, the new life that is making its way up through the Spring ground, the buds that are popping out on trees and plants left and right. The faces of the people that pass us by and the ones that we stare at every day. God made us. He formed us. He is creative. He is bigger than us. And He said it was good.

And in my limited knowledge, I really hope that one day He'll show us the IMAX of how and why He did it. I have a feeling, though, that many already know the 'why'...He loves us. All of us. And creation is an expression of His love.

Enjoy!